Utility companies often incentivize reduction in energy usage during certain high load periods to ensure the utility can meet the demand. For example, in summer months peak energy usage may occur on hot days in the late afternoon. The utility may offer an incentive to a factory to reduce energy usage during the late afternoon to ensure the utility can meet the demand during the peak energy usage. In response, the factory may delay a high load production run until later in the evening. The changes in energy usage during peak or high load periods may be referred to a demand response (DR) event. DR events may include a time period during which the utility expects a high demand and asks customers to reduce or curtail energy usage. When a customer reduces its energy usage by an agreed upon amount, the utility may provide the incentive to the customer.
Recently, several types of DR event systems have developed to manage DR events. Generally, the DR event systems communicate the DR events and energy curtailment requirements that pertain to the DR event to the customer. Additionally, the DR event systems track and assess compliance with the DR event by the customer and/or handles distribution of incentives to the customers in exchange for compliance with the DR event. In some DR systems, DR aggregators mediate communication between utilities and customers and substantially handle notification, tracking, assessment, and distribution of incentives.
For example, DR aggregators may be included in capacity bidding programs (CBP) and demand bidding programs (DBP), which are implemented by several major utility companies. In CBP and DBP, a DR aggregator submits a curtailment commitment to a utility and sends curtailment requests to DR participants (e.g., customers). Based on the actual curtailment accomplished and the committed amount, the DR aggregator may receive an incentive from the utility and distribute the incentive or some portion thereof to the customers.
To assess the compliance of each customer, the DR aggregator tracks energy usage data. The energy usage data may include energy consumption levels, time information, energy usage background information, etc. The energy usage data may therefore include data that may reveal private information about the customer or otherwise may introduce privacy concerns for the customer.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.